'Scandal': Shonda Rhimes reveals Jake was almost Fitz's VP

Scandal fans are used to multiple jaw-droppers per episode, but if the exclusive clip below is any indication, the twists will continue in the upcoming Jimmy Kimmel special Behind the Scandalabra, airing after Thursday night’s finale.

In the clip, creator Shonda Rhimes tells Kimmel that when writing season 3’s midseason finale, there were two options on the table for the writer’s room: one had Jake being appointed the head of B613 and the other had Fitz picking him to be his vice presidential candidate.

As fans know, Fitz ended up picking California Gov. Andrew Nichols (guest star Jon Tenney) to stand beside him in the election, and in the same episode, Jake was appointed the head of B613. But the outcome was not a decision made without great debate.

“Half the [writer’s] room wanted him to be the vice presidential candidate and half wanted him to be the head of B613,” says Rhimes. “And we fought about it right up until the last minute — so much so that we shot both ways.”

With footage of both at her disposal, Rhimes says the running mate idea ultimately felt off. (We agree.) But it’s a fascinating piece of trivia nonetheless. She talks more about the plot point “battle” below: